Man accused of posing as barrister in ‘€1m-plus scam’

A man has appeared in court accused of masquerading as a barrister and defrauding more than €1million from clients over an 18-month period.

David Williams, 63, was granted bail under strict conditions at Naas District Court in Co. Kildare yesterday.

Mr Williams faces four allegations of deception under section 6 of the Theft and Fraud Offences Act. Detective Garda Keith Gorman, attached to the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau, gave evidence of arresting the defendant, who made no reply after being cautioned, the court heard.

A man has appeared in court accused of masquerading as a barrister and defrauding more than €1million from clients over an 18-month period. Pic: Shutterstock

The garda told presiding judge Desmond Zaidan: ‘It will be alleged that David Williams was operating two or three firms offering legal services to immigrants regarding their immigration status. He represented himself as a barrister.’ He added that the case came to Garda attention when ‘a number of clients because suspicious their files were not being submitted’.

The detective told the court the legal services offered by the accused appeared professional and that he had an office to conduct business.

Det Garda Gorman said fees of between €500 and €1,500 were charged and that the total sum involved was in excess of €1million. Judge Zaidan also heard that gardaí were investigating some 1,100 cases from one of the defendant’s firms and 300 files from another company he operated. Det Garda Gorman told the court that ‘no cases’ the defendant took on ‘went to court’ but that the accused ‘took money’ for purported legal services for immigrants to assist their status.

David Williams, 63, was granted bail under strict conditions at Naas District Court in Co. Kildare yesterday. Pic: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

He added that the State would consent to bail, but with strict conditions. These include that the defendant must sign on daily between 9am and 9pm at Naas Garda Station, and provide the address he is residing at and a mobile phone number for gardaí to contact him.

Mr Williams, of Sroughan, Lacken, Blessington, Co. Wicklow, must also not represent himself as a solicitor or a barrister, or contact any parties involved in the case, and must not advocate himself as a provider of immigration services. Mr Williams’s solicitor, Julieanne Hayden, said her client would agree to the bail conditions. She said he was originally from the UK but has lived in Ireland for 30 years. She added that her client said he had made no admissions.

The allegations of deception occurred on dates between January and April 2019, April and August 2019, September and November 2019 and September 2019 and May 2020. Sergeant Brian Jacob said six months’ adjournment was needed because the case is ‘very complicated’.

Mr Williams faces four allegations of deception under section 6 of the Theft and Fraud Offences Act. Pic: Shutterstock

Judge Zaidan granted bail and said because the accused’s assets and accounts had been frozen, he would grant legal aid. ‘These are very serious allegations… It’s a very complex investigation involving a lot of alleged victims,’ the judge told the court.

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